Pellet making machine



Aug. 16, 1932.

R. T. ANDERSQN PELLET MAKING MACHINE Filed July 22. 1931 2 siesta-sheet 1 T llulllllll V EE'I V Aug. 16, 1932. R. T. ANDERSON 1,871,833

PELLET MAKING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STAr-E'S,

TLPATENT OFFICE- BAYMOND TUTTLE ANDERSON, OF BEREA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE V. D.

COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, 0310, A CORPORATION OF OHIO ZPELLET MAKING insomnia Application filed July 22,

This invention pertains to pellet making machines, and relates more particularly to machines of that character wherein the mate-- rial is initially compressed to remove theoil 5 or other liquid therefrom. The apparatus is such that the pellet forming mechan1smview of a press embodying one form of my to invention;

Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional view illustrating the combined final choke and pellet form ing mechanism;

Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section taken on the line III-HIof Fig. v2, with parts broken away; j v n Fig. 4, a perspective view of the combined final choke member and knife carrier; I Fi 5, an endelevation of the pellet format ing die;

taken on the line VL-VT of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7, a detail sectional View illustrating.

' a slightly modified structure. 1 =1 Referring first to Fi s. 1 to 5, 1 denotes th main frame or base 0% the press, and 2 the head end or housing in which the press actuating mechanism is mounted.

Extending outwardly of the housing and interconnected with the driving mechanism is a shaft 3, said shaft extending through the barrel of the press and denoted generally by the numeral 4. Said barrel ma be of any approved type, but is preferably f brmed from a series of spaced bars arranged in circular series about-the shaft and about a series of worms 5 and spacing collars 6.

At the intake end of the shell there is provided a feed hopper 7 and at the opposite end there is present a choke or retarding means Fig. 6, a vertical sectional view thereof,

1931. Serial No. 552,490;

preferably formed by a. plurality of jaws 8 ad-" j ustable toward and from a sleeve 9 sur-j rounding and keyed to the shaft 3 as are the .worms and spacing collars.

The mechanism thus far described is prior art, and it acts to crush and compress material fed into the press and to express the liquid or oil content therefrom so that the cake passing from the choke is hard and has a low oil content. By adjusting the choke the degree of pressure set up within the press ma be varied.

Secured to the base 1 and forming a part 1 of thechoke support and housing is a heavy casting or frame member 10 formed with a cylindrical opening 11 spaced away from a second sleeve 12 also keyed to shaft 3. Outwardly of the sleeve 12 is a spacer element 13 and then a bearing element 14 associated with and forming an element of each of a thrust bearing 15 and a radial bearing 16.

Frame member 10 is formed with a cylinnnnnnson drical socket outward of opening 11 in which is seated a ring-shaped die member 17 held in place by a-plurality of machine screws 17a. The inner portion of the die. is'formed with a series of spaced ribs alike in contour and.

designed to coact with a rotatable member to reform the cake as it is extruded from the press into a series of strings which are cut so off by one or more knives carried by the ro' tatable'member, thus forming pellets.

The ribs just mentioned, and denoted generally by 18, start from nothing at their innermost ends, incline inwardly toward the axis of member 17, presenting a sharp edge a,

which edge terminates in a triangular space 6 which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the body 17. Extending rear-.

wardly and inclining outwardly from said face Z1 is a face 0 which is slightly concave to conform to a choke member presently to be described.

As will be seen, each rib is wedge-shaped in cross section, with the forward portion thereof relatively sharp as compared to the rear or outward portion where the side walls approach parallelism. The inner face of the body 17 intermediate each rib, or in other words, the faces 19, incline or flare outwardlyand are shown as formed on a straight line. By the arrangement .thus described, there is formed'a series of channels between each pair of ribs presenting a plurality of sharp or knife edges to the compacted and dig cake as it is extruded through the main cho e into the space or chamber 11.

Mounted on and rotatable with sleeve 12 is a second choke which is of the form best shown in Figs. 2 and 4.. It is formed as a hollow body having a cone-shaped head 20, the outer surface whereof is formed on the same angle as the rear outwardly inclined faces 0 o the ribs 18.

At the rear of the body is. flange 21- roduced b an annular channel 22 exten ing around the bod to the rear of the head. This choke snugly ts the sleeve 12 and rotates therewith and with shaft 3, a key 23 being secured interiorly of the body and takin into a key-way formed longitudinally o the sleeve.

The forward wall 24 of channel 22 is inclined forwardly and one or more knives 25 are secured to the same and act to cut the strings of reformed and recompressed cake into pellets as the same is forced outwardly between the ribs'and over the head 20, the head forming the inner wall of thechannels through which the material isfinally forced. Preferably the cutting edge of the knife (or knives) stands at right angles to the channels. throu h'which the strings of cake'are extrude though, of course, this is not essential.-

The parts during operation normally 00- cup the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the head 20 in close relation to the ribs. To secure and maintain the arts in such adjusted relation and to permit the recompression member to be withdrawn from the die 17,

a nut 26 is mounted upon the exteriorly threaded portion of sleeve 12 and is connected by a lock ring 27 to flange 21. By this arrangement the cone 20 may be readily adjusted with reference to the removable die element 17.- By employing a greater or less.

number of knives, the length of the pellet which is severed may be readily determined.

From an ins action of Fig. 1 it will be seen that the cake which is extruded past or through the initial choke and lies close to sleeves 9 and 12 is disrupted and forced laterthe ribs and rotating newness forward ends beveled and tapered, have the major portion of their inner edge parallel to the axis of'the die. 'The rotatable cooperatin member 32 while having its forward en rounded off or made tapering is generally cylindrical throughout its length and is held in Eeosition through the means above descri d in connection with the other form. The knife, or. knives, (only one being shown) is denoted by 33 and is secured to the member 32.

From the foregoing description it will be readily appreciated that the outward choke may be withdrawn from the die and the innermost choke likewise opened u with a view of unloading the machine w en it is desired to shut down operation. This enables the operator to clear out the machine, a point of manifest advantage. Otherwise the material which would be left in the apparatus would in part at least be under a high degree of compression and would become set and dry, precludin the starting up of the .machine without angerof breakage.

The degree of pressure which obtains in the shell or barrel of the apparatus can, of course, .be regulated by adjustment of the choke jaws 8 to obtain the desired degree of extraction, which extraction would otherwise vary from time to time accordin to the moisture content of the material being treated. An increase of the fibrous content of the material, which of course results in a change of density in such material, necessitates the opening up of the first choke to a greater extent to prevent plugging up of the apparatus. In other words, the first choke will be adjusted accord-' ing to the nature and character of the material undergoing treatment so' as to bring about the necessary and desired pressure within the press shell or body so that the cake which passes outwardly and is reformed will be of the desired and proper consistency.-

What is claimed is 1. In a pellet forming machine the combi-' nation of a press for expelling liquid from the material undergoing treatment, said press includin a choke past which the dry cake resulting rom the pressin action is forced; adie located outwardly o the choke, said die having a series of spaced ribs formed interiorly thereof; a second choke extending into the ie and normally closing the open sides of the grooves formed by the ribs; and means for severing the material extruded through the grooves.

2. A- machine as set forth in claim 1 whereiin the second choke is rotatable within the 3. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second choke is cone-shaped and the adjacent ribs are contoured to conform to the choke.

4. In a pellet forming machine the combination of a press shell having draining openings; a choke located at the discharge end of the shell; a shaft extending throu h the shell, through the coke and outwardly thereof; means carried by the shaft and coo erative with the shell to compress the materia undergoing treatment and to force the cake produced past the choke; means for driving the shaft;-a die located outwardly of the choke, said die having a series of spaced ribs formed interiorl thereof; a second choke mounted upon an rotatable with the shaft, said choke extendin intothe die and overlying the ribs, thereby orming channels throu h which the cake passing from the first choke is forced,- producing string-like masses; and means forsevering said masses.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second choke is tapered at its inner end and the ribs which form the grooves in the die have their inner ends beveled.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 4. wherein the second choke is tapered at its inner end and the ribs have their inner edges tapered inwardly and brought to a sharp edge.

7 In a pellet making machine the combination of an annular die provided with a series of spaced ribs on the inner face thereof;

a choke extending into said die and overlying the ribs in part at least; at least one knife carried by the choke, said knife lying adjacent the discharge end of the die; means for forcing material through the channels formed by the ribs and the choke; and means for rotating the choke.

8. In a pellet forming machine the combination of a press shell having drainage openin a choke at the discharge end thereof; a s aft extending through the shell, the choke, and outwardly thereof; means carried by the shaft for compressing material within the shell; an annular-shaped die located adjacent the choke, said die having a plurality of spaced ribs formed interiorly thereof, the forward ends of the walls of the ribs tapering toward the choke and presenting sharp forward edges; a second choke secured to the shaft, said choke extending into the discharge end of the die; and at least one knife secured to said last-named choke and movable therewith across the path of material passing from the die.

9. In a pellet making machine, the combination of a press shell; an adjustable choke at the discharge end of said shell; a die located outwardly of said choke; a second choke cooperating with the die to form strings of material, which material has been previously forced outwardly through the first named choke; means located within the barrel of the press to subject the material undergoing treatment to compression and to force the same outwardly past the first named choke; means for rotating the second choke; and at least one knife associated with said second choke and movable across the discharge opening of the die. v

p 10. In a pellet making machine, the combination of a barrel; means located therein terial extruded through the die and over the.

surface of the last named choke.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

RAYMOND TUTTLE ANDERSON. 

